Press Conference Notebook | Ole Miss Sports

Here’s Hugh on the importance of winning the season opener against Central Arkansas:“I can’t sit here and say … I would never say it’s do or die. Any time you put that statement out in front of your kids it’s not good, because this is a process. It’s going to take patience. It is going to be a process. It’s not going to be cured overnight. Does it expediate our journey? Absolutely. The confidence that is gained from success … there’s nothing like it. We talk to our kids all the time about staying out of the chair. The chair represents a given results and not the process. If you’re sitting in the chair and you’re always about results, when things don’t go your way, you’re tempted to lose concentration and focus through the adversity you face. It will still be about the process win or lose.”

A decision on the starting quarterback could come Wednesday, Hugh says. Both quarterbacks will play, and who plays the most depends on who has the hot hand.Bo Wallace says it’s his goal to “lead a scoring drive every time.” That’s a great goal obviously.

Throughout the competition Wallace and Barry Brunetti have been able to keep things friendly, Brunetti says.

Ferbia Allen is pumped about the new offense, eager to run pass patterns from his tight end position and to have fewer plays “with his hand in the dirt.”Freeze says he expects a wide-open offense from UCA. He played against UCA last year while coaching at Arkansas State.

Both Allen and Jamal Mosley have run downfield patterns in the new offense. Mosley’s status for the season opener against UCA remains unclear. Freeze announced the Mosley was suspended indefinitely following the player’s late-summer arrest. Mosley has practiced all through the month. Freeze says he was given a list of objectives to achieve and that “he’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.”

Randall Mackey was a no-show at the presser. We’ll talk to him tomorrow, hopefully. In his absence there were plenty of people talking about Randall Mackey and the good things most folks believe he can do at running back.

Here’s offensive coordinator Dan Werner: “It’s different when you’re a quarterback and the linebackers are dropping to cover a pass. At running back, they’re plugging gaps. It’s a whole different ballgame, and he’s looked really good. He’s got great vision, great timing and balance. Of course, nothing’s been full live. It’s a innate thing. I’ts not like we can do a drill. Somebody didn’t do a drill with Magic Johnson and teach him to do no-look passes. He just had it, and we’re hoping that Randall just has it.”

Most of the wounded players still out, CB Wesley Pendleton, CB Cliff Coleman, S Charles Sawyer, are expected back this week. How much any of them will play in the first game remains unclear and will be determined by what kind of week they have on the field.